Selling an apartment in Perth means handing over a strata lot in a market where buyers compare quickly, negotiate in writing and commit through a standard offer form. This guide is for the owner weighing up whether to sell, whether they still live in Western Australia or manage the property from abroad: asking prices, choosing an agent, the role of the settlement agent, capital gains tax on both sides and bringing the money home.
What nobody tells you.
Real prices, hidden costs and the traps to check before you commit.
Selling an apartment in Perth means handing over a strata lot in a market where buyers compare quickly, negotiate in writing and commit through a standard offer form. This guide is for the owner weighing up whether to sell, whether they still live in Western Australia or manage the property from abroad: asking prices, choosing an agent, the role of the settlement agent, capital gains tax on both sides and bringing the money home.
Written by the ting.ad editorial team
These two readings of the same property carry different weight depending on your situation as a seller, and that is what needs identifying first.
The owner of an apartment in Perth often sees the property through what it cost, the years spent in it or the rent it brings in. The buyer, meanwhile, compares it in a few clicks with dozens of nearby listings on the property portals, thinking in floor area, strata levies and travel time to the city. Between those two readings lies the gap that decides whether a sale goes through in a few weeks or a listing stays online for months. In a market where a house with a garden remains the cultural benchmark, an apartment sells on specific arguments that you need to be able to name. The three contrasts below sum up what you are really handing over and what the buyer is prepared to pay.
An apartment in the CBD or at Elizabeth Quay photographs well, but the buyer immediately sets the asking price against the annual strata levies and the state of the reserve fund. If the levies are high relative to the facilities people actually use, they mentally deduct the difference from the price. Having those figures ready before listing spares you from absorbing that deduction without being able to argue it.
A tenanted apartment mainly interests other investors, who think in net yield and negotiate accordingly. A property sold vacant can also reach owner-occupiers, who are often more sensitive to condition and location than to rent. Choosing between selling tenanted and selling vacant therefore changes the audience, the timetable and sometimes the price achieved.
The seller of a recent apartment often assumes modernity is enough to hold the price, but Perth buyers are wary of buildings whose construction defects or future levies are still poorly understood. By contrast, an older building with a well-funded reserve and minutes free of disputes is reassuring. What the buyer pays for is peace of mind on paper as much as the quality of the finishes.
Whatever your situation, the sale follows Australian practices that surprise owners used to another country's system.
A resident leaving Western Australia, an owner managing the apartment from overseas and an heir inheriting a tenanted property do not sell under the same constraints. The timetable, the capital gains tax position and even the way the apartment is presented all depend on that situation. An Australian resident for tax purposes may, depending on the case, benefit from rules that a non-resident loses, while a landlord has to work around the current lease. Identifying your profile before signing an agency agreement avoids setting a price or a date that will not hold. The three cases below describe what changes in practice for each.
Selling before you leave
If you live in the apartment and plan to leave Australia, the date on which the sale contract is signed matters as much as the price. Under Australian tax law, the event that triggers capital gains tax generally occurs when the contract is entered into, not at settlement. A seller who is still an Australian resident for tax purposes on that date may, subject to conditions, be entitled to the main residence exemption, whereas a foreign resident is generally excluded from it, apart from limited exceptions.
In practice, this argues for starting the sale several months before departure, allowing time for preparation, marketing and negotiation. You can also agree a later settlement so that you stay in the home until you leave and avoid moving twice. Have your residency status and the timetable confirmed by an Australian accountant before signing the agency agreement, because a mistake of a few weeks can cost far more than the agent's commission.
Selling from abroad
Selling from overseas is entirely workable in Perth: the agent runs the inspections, the settlement agent prepares the transfer and documents can be signed remotely, subject to the identity verification required for registration with Landgate. Time differences mean, however, that you should decide in advance who makes the call when an offer arrives during your night, and within what limits on price and conditions.
Two financial points dominate for a non-resident seller. Without the clearance certificate available to Australian tax residents, the buyer must withhold 15% of the price and pay it to the Australian Taxation Office, which ties up part of the sale proceeds until your Australian tax return is lodged, unless a reduced rate is granted on application. The gain will usually also have to be declared in your country of tax residence, under the rules of any double tax agreement it has with Australia.
Selling an occupied or inherited property
A tenanted apartment can be sold with the tenant in place: the current lease then passes to the buyer, which mainly appeals to investors. Selling with vacant possession, on the other hand, means complying with the grounds for ending a tenancy and the notice periods set by Western Australia's tenancy legislation, which has been reformed in recent years. Inspections must also be arranged with the tenant, within the legal notice periods.
For an heir, the sale first goes through the administration of the estate in Australia, with a grant of probate or letters of administration as the case may be, before the title can be transferred. The capital gains rules for an inherited property differ from those for a property held directly and depend in particular on when the deceased had acquired it. An Australian adviser and the estate's advisers in your home country need to align their timetables so the property does not sit empty and costly for months.
With these practices in mind, the next question is where, and to whom, your apartment will sell most easily across the metro area.
An owner used to selling in many European markets expects a preliminary contract signed before a notary, a cooling-off period for the buyer and technical surveys supplied upfront. In Perth, the process relies on a real estate agent engaged by the seller, a standard offer form and settlement professionals known as settlement agents, a feature specific to Western Australia. Conditions exist, but they are negotiated within the offer itself and satisfied in writing within short deadlines. The seller's obligations centre less on a battery of surveys than on strata disclosure and a few compliance items required by the state. The four differences below show what this means for your sale.
A sales mandate that is often non-exclusive, paid according to the agency's fee scale
A selling agency agreement that is usually exclusive for a set period, with negotiated commission and a marketing budget often paid by the seller
Commission is discussed before signing, as are the length of the agreement and what happens to marketing costs if the property does not sell. Compare at least two or three agents on their reasoned appraisal, their recent sales in the suburb and their marketing plan, rather than on a price promise alone.
A notary drafts the deed, holds the funds and records the transfer
Each party usually appoints its own settlement agent, who prepares the transfer, calculates adjustments and manages electronic settlement
A settlement agent is a licensed professional in Western Australia, separate from the real estate agent, and you choose your own. Appoint one as soon as you list, so they can check the title, any encumbrances to be discharged and the strata documents before an offer arrives.
A preliminary contract followed by a statutory cooling-off period for the buyer
A written offer on an Offer and Acceptance form, which becomes a contract on acceptance, subject to the conditions it contains
Western Australia has no general cooling-off period for residential property: what counts are the finance or inspection clauses and their deadlines. Read every condition before accepting, because a high offer with long or vague conditions can be worth less than a lower, unconditional one.
A file of mandatory technical surveys handed over when the preliminary contract is signed
Strata information to be provided before signing, and compliance items, smoke alarms and residual current devices, required before transfer
In Western Australia the seller must, among other things, have compliant smoke alarms and at least two residual current devices installed before ownership of a dwelling is transferred. The buyer, for their part, commissions their own inspections, and the results often become the basis for renegotiation if defects come to light.
Knowing who is looking in your area sets up the reading of the figures: the level at which apartments are actually listed in Perth.
In Perth, an apartment does not find the same buyer at the foot of the CBD towers, in the leafy streets of Subiaco, facing the Swan River or near the beaches of the coast. Each area draws a dominant profile, whether investors, young professionals, retirees leaving a house or families, and that profile determines what makes a property sell: yield, proximity to the train, the view or the quiet. Speed of sale depends less on the suburb itself than on how well your property matches what its buyers are looking for there. The four cards below describe what buyers come looking for, the kind of seller or property that sells well there and the trade-off that weighs on price.
Buyers here want an urban base or a rental investment close to offices, restaurants and the central station.
Buyers here want cafés, tree-lined streets, the train into the city and a building on a human scale.
Buyers here want views of the Swan River and the skyline, residential calm and quick access to the city by road or ferry.
Buyers here want the ocean, the beaches, Fremantle's port and an outdoor lifestyle.
Price is not the whole story: you also need to know exactly what you are handing over with your strata lot.
The figures below are estimates drawn from listings: they show the levels at which Perth apartments are being offered, not the net price you will receive. For a seller, the most useful benchmark is the line matching your number of bedrooms, set against the actual floor area of your lot and its suburb. An apartment listed well above the price per square metre for its category needs to justify it with a view, a high floor, its condition or modest levies, or it will stay online. Bear in mind too that the asking price often includes room for negotiation, and that commission, settlement fees and tax then come off the top. Finally, test these ranges against recent sales in your own building, which your agent can document.
Perth For sale Apartment estimate
By number of bedrooms
| Bedrooms | Share of market | Avg price | Price / m² | Avg size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 % | A$451k | A$8,208 +8 % | 55 m² |
| 2 | 32 % | A$646k | A$7,600 | 85 m² |
| 3 most common | 36 % | A$903k | A$7,220 −5 % | 125 m² |
| 4 | 18 % | A$1.22m | A$6,992 best value / m² | 175 m² |
Each row is an average, compared against the area average of A$7,600 / m². These are indicative estimates of a typical local market, not a measured sample of live listings. Check current listings before relying on them.
These documents shape the price, but one tax rule matters even more before you sign an agency agreement or accept an offer.
Selling an apartment in Perth means handing over a strata lot: a private part, a share of the common property and membership of the strata company that runs the building. Since the reform of strata law that came into force in Western Australia in 2020, the information a seller must give the buyer before signing has been precisely defined. What you transfer is therefore not just the walls, but also by-laws, a budget, a reserve fund and sometimes decisions on works already voted. Some things pass to the buyer automatically, while others remain your responsibility until settlement. The two panels below separate what is transferred from what stays with you.
The title to the lot, its share of the common property, the strata by-laws and any exclusive use rights, such as a car bay or storeroom, pass to the buyer when the transfer is registered. Decisions already voted by the strata company, including certain works and how they are funded, also bind the new owner. A current lease passes in the same way if the property is sold tenanted.
What it changesThe buyer will therefore assess the building as much as your apartment; gather the minutes, the budget and the state of the reserve fund before listing so you can answer their questions without delay.
Until settlement you remain liable for strata levies, council rates and water rates, which the settlement agents then apportion. You must also provide the strata information required by law, complete the compliance work required before transfer and have any mortgage registered on the title discharged. How special levies voted before the sale are shared should be made clear in the contract.
What it changesIncomplete or inaccurate strata information can give the buyer grounds to delay or challenge the sale; have your settlement agent review the file before the first inspection.
Once this chain is clear, the full course of the sale becomes easy to follow, from listing to the final transfer of funds.
The most expensive rule to overlook has nothing to do with styling or negotiation; it concerns the date and the tax status attached to your sale. In Australia, the capital gain generally arises when the contract is signed, while the money only arrives at settlement, several weeks later. Whether you are an Australian resident or a foreign resident for tax purposes on that date determines access to certain exemptions and discounts, and the 15% withholding applies to the price if no clearance certificate is given to the buyer. Each step in the chain below follows from the one before. It is better to work through it before signing the agency agreement than after accepting an offer.
One question remains for many owners: does an apartment sell as well as a house in Perth?
An apartment sale in Perth involves several parties whose roles do not map neatly onto systems elsewhere: you, your real estate agent, the buyer and their bank, two settlement agents, the lender holding any mortgage of yours and the tax office. Between signing the agency agreement and settlement, allow for preparation, several weeks of marketing and then, once an offer is accepted, a settlement period often in the region of thirty to sixty days. Each party acts at a specific point, and a delay at one step pushes back every step after it. The seven steps below follow the usual order of a private treaty sale, the most common method in Perth. They set out who acts and what you need to watch.
In Perth, the detached house on its own block remains the benchmark for many buyers, and that cultural preference shapes how an apartment sells. Well-located houses benefit from the scarcity of land, while apartment values move more unevenly from one building to the next, because new supply can be added quickly along transport corridors and beside the Swan River. For the seller of an apartment, that means more direct competition: the buyer can often find a comparable lot in the same building or the next street.
An apartment therefore does not sell on the promise of land or room to extend, but on arguments a house cannot offer: no outdoor maintenance, the security of a building, immediate proximity to the train, offices or the river, and sometimes a view. The most active buyers in this segment are young professionals, investors and retirees leaving a house that has become too big. Each of these audiences reads your listing differently, and it is to them that the photos, the copy and the price need to speak.
A house generally sells on its land, its aspect and its renovation potential; an apartment sells on its numbers. The buyer of an apartment asks about strata levies, the state of the reserve fund, works that have been voted, by-laws on pets or short-stay letting, and the rent achieved if the property is tenanted. A seller who provides this information at the first inspection shortens the negotiation and prevents an unanswered concern from turning into a discount.
Preparation differs too. A house often needs a tidy garden and visible repairs; an apartment mainly needs light, a neutral interior, a well-presented balcony and clearly documented parking. Light styling, a professional clean and good photography are often enough, whereas major works rarely pay for themselves on a strata lot whose price remains anchored by neighbouring sales.
Finally, timing is not weighed in the same way. A family house tends to sell around the school calendar, while a tenanted apartment can wait for the end of a lease to be offered vacant to a wider audience. If your building has several lots on the market at the same time, it may be wiser to hold off for a few weeks, or to stand out on condition and documentation, rather than cut the price straight away.
The price achieved is never the sum you receive: between listing and the final transfer, several items come off it. Some are proportional to the price, such as the agent's commission or the withholding applied where there is no clearance certificate, while others depend on the file or your circumstances, such as settlement fees or capital gains tax. For an owner who is tax resident elsewhere, there is also the declaration of the gain in their home country and the cost of currency conversion when bringing the funds home. The ranges below are indicative, partly negotiable and should be confirmed by quotes and by a tax adviser.
| Cost item | Estimated amount or range | Who pays, when and why |
|---|---|---|
| Real estate agent's commission | Often in the region of 2 to 3% of the price, including or excluding GST depending on the agreement | Paid by you at settlement, out of the sale proceeds; the rate and basis are negotiated before signing the agreement. |
| Marketing, photography and preparation | A few hundred to a few thousand dollars depending on the campaign | Often paid upfront by the seller before listing and payable even if the property does not sell, depending on the agreement. |
| Settlement agent's fees | Varies with the file; compare quotes | Paid at settlement; they cover preparing the transfer, calculating adjustments and coordinating with your bank. |
| Strata levies, council rates and water rates | $3,000 to $7,000 a year in levies; $1,500 to $2,800 a year in council rates | Payable by you until settlement, then apportioned; amounts paid in advance are refunded to you by the buyer. |
Add any early repayment or discharge fees on your mortgage, as well as bringing smoke alarms and residual current devices up to standard, the cost of which depends on the existing installation.
| Item | Mechanism or order of magnitude | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign resident capital gains withholding | 15% of the price, withheld by the buyer at settlement | Avoided by an Australian resident who provides a clearance certificate; for a non-resident, credited against tax owed and partly refundable through an Australian tax return. |
| Australian capital gains tax | Gain added to taxable income; foreign resident rates apply from the first dollar | The main residence exemption and the 50% discount are, for the most part, closed to foreign residents for tax purposes. |
| Tax on the gain in your country of residence | Declaration usually required; double taxation relieved under any applicable tax treaty | Your home country's calculation and its holding-period rules do not mirror the Australian calculation and should be checked with an adviser. |
| Moving the funds overseas | Exchange rate margin and bank fees vary by provider | Compare your bank with a specialist transfer service, and keep the contract and settlement statement to show the source of funds. |
These items depend on your tax residency on the contract date, the holding period and how the property was used; an Australian accountant and a tax adviser in your country of residence should confirm the amounts before any pricing decision.
The buyer of an apartment in Perth is not just paying for square metres: they are paying for the day they picture living from your address. Train journeys, proximity to hospitals, school catchments and late-opening shops are all selling points a listing can highlight, provided they are true for your property. Following a typical Tuesday helps identify what your agent should emphasise in the description and during inspections. The stops below turn each moment of the day into a concrete selling point.
A listing highlights the light, the view and the facilities, but a serious buyer and their settlement agent will go looking for what it leaves out. In Perth, those checks focus mainly on the strata company, exposure to heat, the condition of common property and the apartment's compliance. Whatever they uncover late, you will pay for in renegotiation; whatever you document early becomes a selling point. Here are the five things the buyer will check, whether you have disclosed them or not.
Looked likeChoosing the agent with the highest appraisal, to sell at the best price.
Turned outAn over-ambitious opening price, weeks without an offer, then successive reductions that ended with the apartment selling below what the more cautious agents had suggested.
Would have caught itAsk each agent for the recent comparable sales behind their appraisal, and compare methods rather than figures.
Looked likeSigning the contract just after becoming a non-resident, believing only the date the money arrived mattered.
Turned outThe main residence exemption was lost and part of the price was withheld at settlement, with an Australian tax return to lodge to sort it out.
Would have caught itHave an Australian accountant confirm your residency status as at the contract date, and set the sale timetable accordingly.
Looked likeAccepting the highest offer, subject to long and loosely worded finance conditions.
Turned outThe buyer did not get their loan, the contract fell over after several weeks and the apartment came back on the market looking like a problem property.
Would have caught itCompare offers on their conditions and deadlines as much as on price, and have your settlement agent review every clause before accepting.
Looked likePresenting the apartment without the strata file, supplying it only on request.
Turned outThe buyer discovered a special levy for facade works during their checks and secured a price reduction larger than the actual cost of the works.
Would have caught itProvide the strata information and recent minutes from the day of listing, with a clear explanation of voted works and how they are funded.
Looked likeSending the sale proceeds overseas by a simple bank transfer on settlement day.
Turned outAn unfavourable exchange rate and hidden fees eroded the amount received, and the bank at home asked for proof of the source of funds, which delayed access to the money.
Would have caught itCompare currency providers before the sale, and prepare the contract, the settlement statement and the tax paperwork for your home bank.
Selling is not always the right decision, even when an agent quotes a good price. Some tax, tenancy or wealth situations make an immediate sale more costly than waiting a few months or keeping the property. Selling costs, the tax withholding and the cost of possibly returning to the Perth property market later all need to be weighed against what the sale genuinely gives you. Here are four profiles for whom the wisest answer is often to wait.
The resident leaving Perth without having checked the tax impact of their departure
To hold off on signing any agency agreement until they have met an Australian accountant about their residency status and capital gain.
A sale signed after losing resident status can wipe out the main residence exemption and trigger tax far greater than the price difference they were hoping for.
The landlord whose tenant is in place for many months to come
To wait until the lease is nearing its end, or to sell tenanted while accepting that the audience will mainly be investors.
Selling mid-lease narrows the audience to investor buyers, whereas a vacant property can also reach owner-occupiers and draw more offers.
The owner whose building has just voted major works
To let the works go ahead, or at least be costed precisely, before listing.
Uncertainty over a special levy weighs more heavily on offers than its real cost; completed and paid-for works reassure buyers and support the price.
The owner selling out of weariness with managing from a distance
To hand management to a reputable property manager first and revisit the sale with a clear head.
Selling costs, tax and the cost of any later return to the Perth market make a rushed sale hard to undo, whereas a management problem can often be fixed without selling.
Selling an apartment in Perth is decided less on a hunch about the market than on three simple checks: what you will receive net, the date on which your tax status makes the sale most favourable, and the audience genuinely interested in your lot. An asking price in line with recent sales in your building and your size category draws offers in the first few weeks, when buyers' attention is at its peak.
If your strata file is complete, the compliance work done, your residency status confirmed and the net amount calculated after commission, settlement fees, withholding and tax in Australia and in your home country, you can sign an agency agreement with your eyes open. Then set the price from verifiable comparable sales rather than from the most flattering appraisal, and decide in advance what level of offer and which conditions you will accept.
If any of these points remains unclear, taking a few weeks to settle it generally costs less than a poorly judged sale, a contract that falls over or avoidable tax. Keeping the property, continuing to rent it out or postponing the sale are equally legitimate decisions when the numbers are not in place. The Perth market will continue to reward well-prepared sellers who know exactly what they are handing over and what they will be left with.
Related questions
Commission is not set by law and is negotiated with the agent before you sign the selling agency agreement. Across metropolitan Perth it is often in the region of 2 to 3% of the sale price, varying with the value of the property and the level of service. Marketing, photography and portal advertising costs are frequently charged separately. Check in the agreement whether the commission includes GST and what remains payable if the property does not sell.
Yes, nothing prevents a non-resident owner from selling a property in Western Australia. The agent handles the marketing and inspections, while your settlement agent prepares the transfer and coordinates settlement remotely. You will need to meet the identity verification requirements for registration and sign documents in the required form. Also allow for the 15% withholding applied to the price where no clearance certificate is provided.
It is a withholding mechanism aimed at foreign resident sellers: the buyer deducts 15% of the price at settlement and pays it to the Australian Taxation Office. For contracts signed from 1 January 2025 it applies whatever the price of the property. An Australian resident seller avoids it by providing a clearance certificate, applied for online before settlement, and a non-resident can in some cases apply for a reduced rate. The amount withheld is then credited against the tax owed once an Australian tax return is lodged.
Yes, a gain made on Australian property generally falls within Australian capital gains tax. A resident selling their main residence may be exempt, subject to conditions, and a resident who has held the property for more than twelve months may be entitled to a 50% discount. These concessions are, for the most part, closed to foreign residents for tax purposes. The calculation depends on the contract date, the holding period and how the property was used, which is why an Australian accountant is worth consulting.
If you are tax resident in another country, the gain made on a property in Australia will usually have to be declared there as well. Australia has double tax agreements with many countries that set out how double taxation is relieved, so that the same gain is not taxed in full twice. Your home country's calculation nonetheless follows its own rules, particularly on how the holding period is treated. Have your situation checked by a tax adviser in your country of residence before settling on the net price you are aiming for.
The timeline breaks down into three phases: preparing the property and the paperwork, marketing until an offer is accepted, and then the settlement period. That last phase is often between thirty and sixty days, depending on what the contract provides. The marketing period varies widely with the suburb, the asking price and the number of comparable properties for sale at the same time. A realistic price from the day of listing remains the best way to shorten the whole process.
Before ownership of a dwelling is transferred, the seller must in particular ensure that compliant smoke alarms are installed. The regulations also require at least two residual current devices protecting the power and lighting circuits. For an apartment, the strata information required by law must also be given to the buyer before the contract is signed. Your agent and your settlement agent can tell you which evidence is expected.
Yes, a tenanted apartment can be sold with its lease, which then passes to the new owner. This option mainly appeals to investors, who value rent that is already in place and documented. If you want to sell with vacant possession, the grounds and notice periods for ending a tenancy are set by the state's tenancy legislation, which has been reformed in recent years. Inspections must also respect the tenant's rights and the required notice periods.
In Perth most apartments sell by private treaty, with an asking price or an invitation to make offers, and auctions remain less common than in Sydney or Melbourne. An auction can suit a rare property, for example one with an exceptional view, that generates genuine competition between buyers. For a standard apartment, selling by offers often gives better control over timing and conditions. Discuss both methods with several agents before signing the agency agreement.
The balance of the price is first paid at settlement into an account, normally in Australian dollars. You can then convert it into your home currency through your bank or through a specialist transfer service, whose rates and fees vary considerably. Keep the contract, the settlement statement and the tax paperwork, because your bank at home may ask about the source of the funds. For a large amount, ask for several quotes before converting.
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